


Roads

by Shadow_Side



Series: Seventy-C [3]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Eventual Threesome, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 23:32:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4325037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Side/pseuds/Shadow_Side
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>No matter what I do, all roads lead to you.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roads

**Author's Note:**

> So, _Exit Wounds_ was supposed to be a soul-searching, wham-episode-reacting one-off, but then a lovely reviewer asked for a sequel, and… well, the best things in life come in threes, right? ;-)
> 
> The title for this final part is from the song of the same name, _Roads_ , by Lawson, which Cecil and I agreed on without difficulty because he is the sensible one. Sort of. Or, he'd like you to think as much, at least…
> 
> Now with series banner-art by the ever-wonderful Davechicken!
> 
>   
>    
> 

"Hello, Cecil. We need to talk."

Cecil stares in shock at the man on the other side of the door – the man on the other side of _their_ door – momentarily stunned into inaction. He's aware that Carlos' response had been to slam the door shut and strenuously deny there was anyone outside, and he'd contemplate doing the same himself, were it not obviously far too late for that.

He takes a deep breath. He's still reeling from the conversation he and Carlos have just had – still reeling from the knowledge that his boyfriend slept with his _double_ – and so suddenly being faced with said double is even more of an issue than it would usually be.

"I have nothing to say to you," Cecil insists, which is such a blatant lie that he can feel at once how hollow the words are.

"That's OK," Kevin answers, oddly softly. "Then… you can just listen. How about that?"

"I listened to you every day for two weeks whilst I was trapped in the Strexcorp Company Picnic," Cecil throws back. "That was more than enough."

He knows he's being harsh. Maybe unduly harsh. But how else is he supposed to react?

Kevin, for his part, looks stung by the words. "I realise that," he says. "And, for what it's worth, I am sorry. Now… can I please come in? Just so we can talk. Or you can listen. Or… something along those lines."

He sounds almost nervous. It's _extremely_ weird. Cecil tries not to be drawn in by it.

"No," he replies. "You cannot come in. Whatever you have to say to me, say it and go."

"…Cecil," Carlos starts out, softly, putting a hand on his arm from behind. "Cecil… please just give him a chance."

Cecil does not want to give Kevin a chance. From the moment they first met, in the vortex during the sandstorm, all Cecil has wanted there to be between Kevin and himself is a great deal of space. Maybe a couple of state-lines. Or an ocean. Right now there are mere feet and inches, and it is not a feeling he enjoys. It is _certainly_ not a feeling he enjoys now that he knows the man in question _seduced his boyfriend_.

"…Fine," Cecil concedes. "Fine. But only because I don't want the neighbours thinking I associate with you by choice."

He moves back, enough to let Kevin through the door, and enough to leave a marked space between his double and himself. And his boyfriend.

Once Kevin has stepped inside, he shuts the door and turns to look at them, obsidian-black eyes betraying a certain wariness. He's definitely not like he was, that day in the radio station. The day of the unravelling of all things. The day Steve threw him through that door, out of Cecil's life and – unknowingly – into Carlos'.

"All right, then," Cecil says, folding his arms, and still standing rather deliberately in front of Carlos. "Talk."

Kevin looks like he's about to, but Carlos – moving to Cecil's side – gets there first. "What are you doing here? I told you… I said…"

"I know what you said," Kevin replies, softly. "Or, rather, I know what you _wrote_. You could at least have said it to my face."

"I couldn't," Carlos insists. "If I'd tried, I…" The waver in his voice cuts Cecil to the core. "…I couldn't."

"You seduced my boyfriend!" Cecil exclaims, deciding to go for broke before all of this gets any more awkward.

Kevin looks down for a moment, then meets eyes with Carlos. "You told him." It isn't a question.

"Yes, I told him," Carlos answers. "About five minutes ago, as it happens. Your timing is impeccable, as always."

"You never had any complaints before," Kevin says, and though the words are more than a little wicked, his tone is all hurt.

It doesn't stop Cecil bristling in response. "What are you doing here?" he demands.

"I told you, I came to talk to you."

"To me, or to Carlos?"

"To both of you."

Even though Kevin has been insisting as much since Cecil first opened the door, those words still take him by surprise. "Both of us?" he repeats. "About what?"

Because what could the man want to talk to _him_ about? Cecil understands now, all too well, what Kevin might want to talk to _Carlos_ about. But Cecil himself? When everything comes down to it, he and his double have only had very limited interaction, and each time they _have_ met it has gone quite spectacularly wrong.

Kevin looks almost reticent, and Cecil is strangely certain it's because the other man is still nervous. And that's just _weird_.

"About… this. Us. The three of us."

"'The three of us'?" Cecil repeats. "What do you mean, 'the three of us'? This is the first time all three of us have actually had a conversation! And, whilst I can't speak for all the conversations you've had with _my_ boyfriend, I do know that all the conversations you've had with _me_ have ended less than pleasantly!"

"None of which is my fault, Cecil," Kevin says, just a little more firmly. "Well. No. I accept that what happened on the day of the parade definitely did not end well. But the rest? _You_ attacked me in that vortex. _You_ overreacted when I tried to warn you about the deer. And _you_ let your brother-in-law throw me through that door, when I had only come to _help_."

Cecil is about to reply, but he stops himself, because… because… damn it, the other man has a point, and that is not a state of affairs Cecil enjoys. He limits himself to a scowl, and lets Kevin keep talking.

"And then I was trapped, alone, in the Otherworld Desert. I had no one on the other end of the phone, Cecil. No one. I wandered on my own for months before I met Carlos, and in the silence of my own heart I fell to my knees and thanked the Smiling God for allowing me such welcome mercy."

These words cut Cecil to the core, hurting far more than he might ever have expected. But he can't – _can't_ – let it show, so he covers it by saying, "Do not invoke that _thing_ you all worship. Not here."

Kevin doesn't comment, and keeps talking regardless. "Carlos took me back to the masked warriors' camp. To the settlement they were starting to build. It was so wonderful, I nearly fell over. And they were so _efficient_. You can't blame a man for being impressed by that."

"You start talking about Strexcorp again and I _will_ throw you out," Cecil retorts. "Plus, it's owned by the angels now. Or, it would be, if they existed."

"They exist," Kevin says, softly. "And I know. And… I'm still not convinced all of that will end well. But it isn't my problem anymore. I have no intention of going back to Strexcorp, whatever its current ownership."

"Well, I'm hardly surprised by…" Cecil starts out, then stops, realising what Kevin has actually said. "Wait, never?"

"Never."

"Why not?"

"Cecil, how can you ask me that?" Kevin says. "You know what they were. What they did."

"And you adored them!"

"I _acted_ like I adored them. On some level, I admit I came to believe it. But deep down… you cannot know how glad I am that they're gone."

All of this is not helping. It is not helping at all. Cecil needs Kevin to be the way he's always been: hyper-cheery and vaguely deranged. This whole sensible, reticent, atoner-thing _is not helping_.

"Well, OK, fine, you've moved on from Strex. Good for you." Great for you, in fact, although Cecil is not going to say as much. "It doesn't change the rest of it. It doesn't change the part where you _slept with my boyfriend!_ "

"No," Kevin answers. "No, it doesn't. But that wasn't just me, Cecil. It isn't as though I forced him. I would never do that. Yes, I initiated, but Carlos… Carlos responded."

He looks so terribly drawn, and – under different circumstances – Cecil could almost sympathise.

…Wait, what? What is wrong with him?!

"Yes, I responded," Carlos says. "I don't deny that. But I shouldn't have. I… should have told you to stop."

Kevin gives him an odd look. "'Stop' was quite the opposite of what you said. Repeatedly, if I recall."

" _Kevin!_ " both Cecil and Carlos exclaim, in unison, though perhaps for very different reasons.

And now? Now Kevin looks drawn again. And… not just by Carlos..?

…What an insane thing to think. Cecil internally shakes his head at himself.

"And I know that," Carlos continues, alone. "I do. And I'm sorry. I told you as much the next morning. I should never have let it happen and I accepted full responsibility."

"And I respected your decision," Kevin points out, softly. "Remember? I never made a move on you again. Not even the night after Cecil went back home, and you spent the evening looking like your whole world had ended. And that wasn't easy, Carlos. I wanted you _badly_. But more than that… I cared about you. I _care_ about you. I wanted to make you happy, and–"

"…Should I just leave the two of you alone?" Cecil interjects, before he can stop himself.

" _No!_ " both Carlos and Kevin exclaim, in unison, and Carlos takes hold of Cecil's arm, holding on. And… OK, yes, that helps, though Cecil doesn't exactly feel better because this is not a conversation he wants to listen to his boyfriend having with another man. Especially _this_ other man.

"… _And_ ," Kevin carries on, alone, "once I saw the two of you together, I…"

He trails off, looking genuinely pained, and this is all far too weird and honest for Cecil's liking right now, and if Kevin could _stop_ coming across as so reasonable and – where possible – decent, that… well, that would help a lot.

"You _what?_ " Cecil pushes.

Kevin meets his eyes, and there's something very strange in his own, now. Something honest and heartfelt and… and _weird_. "I built that radio station for you, you know," he says, instead of actually answering the question. "Well… for both of us, I guess. I wanted to surprise you with it, when you finally came to visit. I thought… I thought it might make you want to stay. Or… no, no, _Carlos_ would make you want to stay. But I thought it would make you even happier if you did decide to."

"You're insane!" Cecil exclaims. "Why would you want me to stay? You seduced my boyfriend! You freely admit to still having feelings for him, even if some weird sense of decency has made you hold off acting on them a second time. Why would you want me in the middle of all that?"

"Why not?" Kevin whispers. "I was drawn to you the moment we met. Long before I even knew Carlos existed."

These words are like being hit on the head whilst simultaneously running face-first into a wall, and Cecil is confident that Carlos' grip on his arm is the only thing stopping him from falling over. "…Wait, _what?!_ "

Kevin actually blushes. Damn the man. "…I knew, the instant I finally saw the two of you together, that I could never do anything that might break you apart. No… not 'could never'… ' _would_ never'. You… you just looked so right together. So… perfect."

"Back up a second," Cecil insists, trying to hide how flustered he suddenly is. "What do you mean you were _drawn to me the moment we met?_ "

It's a fairly crucial question, after all.

"…I meant what I said," Kevin replies, softly. "I was." A pause. He's nothing if not a good orator. "I _am_."

"…Seriously?" Carlos breathes, when Cecil finds himself utterly lost for words. "That's… well, that's just _fascinating_."

" _Carlos!_ " both Cecil and Kevin exclaim, in unison, which makes Carlos hold onto Cecil even tighter in just the way he does when he wants…

…Oh, this is turning into _quite_ an evening, isn't it? Cecil struggles to get his thoughts in order. It is not easy.

"…Let me get this straight," he starts out. "You not only seduced my boyfriend, but you're attracted to _me_ as _well?_ "

Kevin nods. "Yes."

"…But I'm your double! We're _identical!_ "

"So? We're not actually related. And this _is_ the twenty-first century, after all."

"Allegedly, at least," Carlos murmurs. "But, getting back to the point… what do we do now?"

There's a weirdly hopeful edge to his tone, which is mirrored somewhat by the renewed hopeful look in Kevin's eyes. Cecil, for his part, can't answer immediately.

After all, what is he going to say? He still hasn't even begun to deal with the fact that Kevin and Carlos slept together – even if only once – in the Otherworld Desert. Or with the fact that Carlos still clearly has feelings for the other man. This alone is more than enough.

But no. Then there's also the part where Kevin has just admitted to having feelings for _Cecil_. And for having had them for even _longer_.

"…If you want me to go, Cecil, I'll go," Kevin states, softly. "I've said what I came here to say, and… what you choose to do next is up to you."

And the answer to this is simple. Isn't it? What happens next is that Cecil needs to work this whole thing out with Carlos, and Kevin needs to go.

Kevin, who cared about them so much that he'd rather see them happy together than make himself happy by breaking them apart.

Kevin, who backed off when he was asked to, even though having to do it clearly broke his heart.

Kevin, who built a radio station in the Otherworld Desert so that Cecil would feel more at home if he moved there.

Cecil looks sideways at Carlos, who is still holding onto his arm, and staring at him with such hope in his eyes. And then… then he looks back at Kevin.

The words tumble from his lips before he has time to overthink them. "…Kiss me," he says.

For a moment, Kevin stares at the two of them, clearly stunned by the request. And then, without another second's hesitation, he launches himself straight at Cecil, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and kissing him hard.

To start off with, Cecil is simply too shocked to do anything but let it happen, except then… then he realises it feels… _he_ feels…

… _Good_.

He starts to respond. To kiss the other man back. And Kevin clearly likes that because he makes a soft little sound of approval, and holds on tighter.

And it's at _this_ point that Carlos, still gripping hold of Cecil's arm, gasps audibly.

Kevin pulls back from the kiss after another moment, keeping his arms around Cecil as if almost scared to let go, and staring at him – at both of them – in nothing but desperate hope.

Which is when Carlos, evidently seizing the initiative, steps in closer, grabs hold of Kevin, and pulls _him_ in to kiss. For a fleeting second, Cecil feels his stomach lurch in alarm – because this is precisely what he's been scared of seeing since Carlos told him what happened in the Otherworld Desert – but then… then he takes a deep breath and _watches_. And seeing the two of them like this is… undeniably beautiful.

It helps – a great deal – that the pair of them still have hold of him whilst they kiss. And they don't let go. On the contrary, both Kevin and Carlos seem to be holding on to Cecil even tighter.

As the kiss finally breaks, none of them move apart. Cecil turns his head to look at Carlos, not entirely sure what to say to him, and Carlos presses in, resting his forehead against Cecil's. "If this isn't what you want…" Carlos starts out, and his voice is shaking a little.

"…It is," Cecil whispers, though he knows he wasn't certain until this very second. "It is. I want to try."

Carlos smiles and kisses him and – pressed against them both – Kevin makes a soft, needy little sound of delight, watching until they finally pull back, and then pushing further into Cecil's arms, head resting on his shoulder.

"…I don't know what to say…" Kevin whispers, and… OK, there's something really rather adorable about the whole situation. Though Cecil is not quite ready to admit this out loud.

Not quite, but close.

"I'm sure we can help you think of something," he replies, instead.

Which… implies he's considering what comes next. Because he is. Suddenly, he's considering it in some detail. Some rather graphic detail.

…Maybe this is going to turn out to have been a very good idea after all.

***

It's a number of hours later. Cecil is not entirely sure how many. It's dark, now, and there's moonlight beyond the bedroom curtains, but other than that…

…Well. Carlos is always saying that time doesn't exist. Although, at this precise moment, Carlos is not saying very much of anything, given that he still looks thoroughly out of his mind with happiness. And this is not a surprise, considering that the three of them have only just fallen back in a tangle amongst the sheets, exhausted and sated by what the last howeverlong has actually entailed.

Carlos curls in tighter against Cecil's right side, head on his shoulder; and, on Cecil's left side, Kevin does very much the same.

Cecil still can't quite believe what's just happened. He lies on his back, with his boyfriend on one side and his double on the other, and he…

…Wait. 'His double', or 'his other boyfriend'? What is he even supposed to call this?

He doesn't know. He supposes he'll work it out eventually.

"…That was amazing…" Kevin murmurs. "I… don't even know how to say…"

Cecil leans to kiss him on the forehead, and Kevin gives a soft sigh of happiness, holding on even tighter.

"Seconded," Carlos agrees. "Amazing, and scientifically-fascinating." He makes a happy murmur of his own. "I'm a lucky man."

Kevin reaches over and lays his hand over Carlos', against Cecil's chest. "You're not the only one."

He's never been more right. Exactly where all this goes, Cecil doesn't know, but what he _does_ know is that he'd very much like to find out. Each of them took such a different road to get to this point – literally and metaphorically – and, now they have, it feels as though every step along the way, even the difficult ones, was leading them here.

To this. To each other.

"What happens now?" Carlos whispers.

"Now?" Cecil repeats, softly. "Now… we see where this goes. All _three_ of us see where this goes."

"…You mean it?" Kevin asks, voice cracking a little.

"I mean it," Cecil replies.

Amazing how comprehensively you can change your mind about someone, when you finally understand where they're really coming from.

And yes, exactly where they're going is impossible to say. But that's the best part, isn't it? Finding out what comes next. Finding out _together_.

They all curl in tighter, and as Cecil closes his eyes, he realises that the well-worn exhortation is finally true.

Everything _is_ fine.


End file.
